The house of Arco Couture

About Arco Couture

Beauty should never have to apologize for how it feels.

A considered approach to elegance, movement, and the modern high heel.

01 / The Design

Built around aesthetics. And anatomy.

Created by orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Shane Rothermel, Arco Couture reimagines the high heel to move with the foot, not against it.

Years spent understanding how the body bears weight, moves, and responds to pressure informed an entirely different approach to designing a heel.

Balance

The geometry and foundation of the heel are considered as part of the whole structure.

Proportion

Every angle and curve preserves the elegance of a true high heel.

Anatomy

The architecture begins with how the foot actually functions and transfers weight.

02 / The Craft

Made with intention.

Made in Italian ateliers, each pair reflects exacting technique, exceptional materials, and a finish worthy of a second glance.

Arco Couture combines a contemporary approach to design with generations of traditional Italian shoemaking.

Made in Italy

03 / The Difference

The Difference

Form and function have always been treated as a trade-off. Arco Couture was created to prove otherwise.

01

Form

Every silhouette is sculpted with intention — beauty is never incidental.

02

Function

Engineered to work with the body, not against it.

03

Feel

Ergonomics is not a compromise. It is the standard.

The art of the considered step.

A new perspective on the high heel, made for the way modern women move through the world. Arco Couture did not come to be in the traditional sense of a shoe brand. The heeled shoe was observed to be a persistent dilemma in society. The company was created from a scientific perspective. It was hypothesized that there was a better way to blend form and function that would permit current fashion standard without causing distress to the wearer. It turned out to be an interesting structural design challenge. We hope you enjoy the results.

The inspiration

As an orthopaedic surgeon, I understood how the foot was designed to function. As founder of Arco Couture, I set out to create a high heel that respected that design. The result is the technology embedded in each shoe.
Dr. Shane Rothermel, M.D. Founder / CEO

Created by orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Shane Rothermel, M.D., FAAOS, Arco Couture reimagines the high heel to blend beauty and biomechanics. Dr. Rothermel treats musculoskeletal conditions. He also studied engineering at university with a concentration in biomechanics. He often looks to improve on current designs and systems, in which, perhaps no one previously considered or may have missed a fundamental concept. He postulated that the heeled shoe is so uncomfortable due to the complete disregard for the anatomy and biomechanics of the foot during gait. The ability to accommodate the ground is a biomechanical marvel in a normal foot flat gait pattern. However, that accommodation ability is drastically altered with lifting of the heel. Therefore, he engineered a sole to provide the needed support of the foot when the heel is elevated.